Winding drum



M. DVCRIN WINDING DRUM March 22, 1966 Filed Sept. 30, 1965 MARTIN DVORIN 1 llllll ATTORNEYS United States Patent M Filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,635 6 Claims. 0. 242-721 This invention relates to a fiber winding drum and more particularly to a collapsible winding drum providing a smooth peripheral circle when assembled, adapted for winding fibers or wires of small diameter.

The process of winding fiber bundles of an endless fiber is generally done on the periphery of a drum. The surface on the periphery of the drum which forms the winding base must be smooth and circular to provide an even wind on the drum. The winding on the drum is done while the fiber is under a certain degree of tension because tension is required to control the fiber as it is being wound. This slight tension accumulates during the process of winding, to -a substantial total force. This force must be released before the bundle can be removed from the periphery of the drum. Accordingly this invention is intended to provide a release of the tension caused by the plurality of the fibers woundon its periphery prior to the removal of the drum. Although a suitable clamping means may be provided with a drum of this type it is not shown in this disclosure. The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a means for releasing initial tensioning on the winding drum and which provides an even peripheral surface during the winding operation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a perfect circular surface for winding of fiber-s.

It is another object of this invention to provide a smooth even periphery on a fiber winding drum formed by a combination of elements which are retractable to permit removal of the fibers from the drum.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fiber winding drum constructed and arranged to form a precision finished circular peripheral surface on the drum which may be dismantled to release tension and remove the winding from the drum.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by the use of a circular means defining a circle on its inner periphery which receives half moon segments which are readily expandable against the inner periphery of the circle. The segments are expanded in response to wedges which are moved axially intermediate the end surfaces of said segments which also have peripheral arcuate surfaces of radius common to the circular means. As the half moon segments expand .to engage the inner periphery of the circle they form an even surface for winding a continuous fiber in the production of fiber bundles.

The attached drawings and the subsequent description set forth the preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevation view of the winding drum.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of one of the arcuate wedges positioned intermediate the end surface of the half moon segments and is taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a cross section view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an end plate 1 bolted to a similar end plate 2 on the opposite side of the winding drum. The plates 1 and 2 are bolted to the hub 50 which is fastened to the shaft 13. Two half moon segments 3 and 4 are positioned inter-mediate the plates 1 and 2. These segments are not fixed to the end plates 1 and 2 but are contained intermediate these plates. The periphery of these plates are enclosed by the annuluses 5 and 6 formed on the radially outer portion of the plates 1 and 2 respectively. The annuluses 5 and 6 3,241,782 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 extend axially to enclose a portion of the half moon segments 3 and 4 which keep them within a confined area intermediate the plates 1 and 2. The peripheral surface of half moon segments forms a common radius with the inner periphery formed by the surface 7 and 8 formed by the inner periphery of the annuluses 5 and 6. These inner peripheral surfaces form a perfect circle which confine the peripheral surface of the segments 3 and 4. The arcuate surfaces 9 and 10 formed on the wedges 11 and 12 are of a common radius to the circle formed by the half moon segments 3 and 4.

FIG. 2 is a section view taken of the arcuate wedge 11 with a wedge driven to a left hand position when viewed in FIG. 3. Movement is accomplished by rotation of the screw 15 through a means inserted in the opening 16. The wedge moves to a left hand direction'and permits the half moon segments 3 and 4 to contract radially inward and reduce .the peripheral distance around the half moon segments and the arcuate wedges. In this position the arcuate wedges 11 and 12' remain engaging the inner periphery of the annulus 5 and the annulus 6. A similar action is accomplished on the wedge 12. The axial movement of the wedges 11 and 12 causes a half moon segment 3 and 4 to move radially inward and release the fibers on the portion adjacent the lateral surfaces of the wedges 9 and 10. This is shown in FIG. 2. The angle 60 contacting the inner periphery of the fiber bundle 17 is an obtuse angle and has a lesser tendency to cut the fibers than if the acute angle 18 on the half moon segment-were engaging the fibers.

A reverse movement is accomplished by rotating the screw 15 in the opposite direction causing a wedging action of the arcuate wedges 9 and 10 as they spread the end surfaces of the half moon segments 3 and 4. This is also accomplished by inserting a means into the opening 16 to counter-rotate the bolt 15. The coefficient of friction of the lateral surfaces of the arcuate segments 9 and 10 engaging the end surfaces of the half moon segments is of sufficient magnitude to overcome the component of force created by the peripheral force of the fibers on the inclined surface. For this reason the contraction and expansion on the half moon segments is controlled through rotation of the screw 15.

The device will be described in the following paragraphs.

The half moon segments are contracted radially by rotation of the screws causing an axial movement of the arcuate wedges. The expansion is accomplished by counter-rotation of the screws. A suitable wrench inserted through the opening 16 is used to rotate the screw 15.

As the screw 15 is rotated the wedge 9 is moved axially engaging the end surfaces of the arcuate segments 3 and 4. This causes an expansion of the half rnoon segments 3 and 4 until they engage the inner periphery of the annuluses 5 and 6. The annuluses 5 and 6 form a perfect circle of a common radius with the wedges 9 and 1t] and the half moon segments 3 and 4. The finishes of the peripheral surfaces of these elements are machined to a close tolerance to eliminate any roughness in a peripheral surface formed by the wedges and segments.

When the wedges 9 and 10 are axially the right hand position they expand the peripheral surfaces of the segments and there is no break between connecting surfaces. The peripheral surface then provides a winding drum permitting a close positioning of a fiber guide to maintain accurate control of the fiber as it leaves the guide and engages the peripheral surface of the winding drum. This is accomplished through use of a certain amount of tension created on the fiber as it is wound on the drum.

The fiber bundle is wound on the periphery of the drum. The periphery of segments and the wedges forms the peripheral surface from which the completed winding of fibers must be removed from the drum. Accordingly the screw 15 is rotated causing the head to engage the inner surface 51 of the insert 20 causing the wedge to move axially. This permits the half moon segments to contract radially releasing the tension of the peripheral fibers on the drum and permitting their removal in a suitable manner. The release of the tension and the dismantling of the elements is accomplished in a manner to prevent any breakage of fibers or points of stress concentration on the fibers. Accordingly this drum provides a smooth peripheral surface for winding of a fiber bundle with adeqluate means for removal of the bundles once it is comp etc.

The preferred embodiment of this invention is disclosed and it is understood that modifications of this invention might be devised which may fall within the scope of this invention as defined by the attached claims.

I claim:

1. A fiber winding drum comprising at least one circular element defining a circle having a facing on its inner periphery, at least two half moon segments having axially tapered end surfaces constructed and arranged to move radially within said circular element and defining segments of a circle common to the circle defined by the circular element, at least two axially tapered wedges having lateral tapered planar surfaces mating and engaging said tapered end surfaces of two adjacent ends of said segments, said tapered surfaces of said Wedges defining planes the extension of which intersect on a radial line relative to the axis of rotation of the winding drum, means axially moving said wedges to expand the segments radially against the inner facing of the peripheral circle defined by said circular element thereby providing a smooth outer periphery of the winding drum.

2. A fiber winding drum comprising an annulus defining a circle on its inner periphery, radially expandable segments received within the circle and having axially tapered end surfaces forming wedge shaped openings between the segments, a wedge slidably engaging the inner periphery of said annulus and positioned between each of the end surfaces of adjacent of said segments, each of said wedges extending in a direction parallel with the drum axis and decreasing in width as the wedge extends from one side of the segment to the other side, means axially moving said wedges to frictionally engage the end surfaces of adjacent of said segments thereby expanding the segments to form a smooth continuous peripheral surface with the peripheral surface of said wedge on said winding drum.

3. A fiber winding drum comprising a pair of annuluses defining like circular inner peripheries on a common center, a pair of half moon segments received within said circular peripheries and each segment defining an arc of a circle on their outer periphery of the same radius as defined by the inner peripheries of said annuluses, axially tapered end surfaces on each end of said segments forming wedge shaped openings between the ends of said segments, a pair of wedges received in said openings and forming arcuate surfaces of a common radius of curvature of said annuluses slidably engaging the inner peripheries of said annuluses, each of said wedges extending in a direction parallel with the drum axis and decreasing in width as it extends from one side of the segments to the other side, an end plate fixed to one of said annuluses defining two chambers, a mating screw threadedly engaging each of said wedges and having the head received within one of said chambers of said end plate and axially moving the mating of said wedges upon rotation of said 7 screw, said wedges thereby expanding said segments against the inner periphery of said annuluses to provide a smooth peripheral surface on said winding drum formed by said half moon segments and said wedges.

4. A fiber winding drum comprising a pair of annuluses each defining a circular inner periphery having a common center, a pair of half moon segments defining a segment of a circle of the same radius as defined by the inner peripheries of said annuluses and having tapered end surfaces, a wedge defining an arcuate outer periphery of the same radius defined by the inner periphery of said annuluses and having lateral surfaces on said wedges mating the end surfaces of said segments frictionally engaging said end surfaces of adjacent of said segments, said lateral surfaces on said wedges defining planes the extension of which intersects on a radial line relative to the rotational axis of said drum, screw means fixed to one of said annuluses and threadedly engaging said wedges and axially moving said wedges and expanding said half moon segments to engage the inner periphery of said annuluses thereby producing a smooth peripheral surface with said wedges for winding of fibers when said segments are expanded in said annuluses.

5. A fiber winding drum comprising a first and a second end plate fixed to each other including axially extending flanges extending intermediate said plates defining circular inner peripheral surfaces, a pair of half moon segments defining arcuate surfaces of the same curvature of said inner peripheral surfaces of said flanges and tapered end surfaces received intermediate said end plates within the peripheral surfaces of said axial flanges, a pair of wedges having an outer peripheral surface of a radius common to the curvature of said inner peripheral surfaces said axial flanges and each wedge positioned between adjacent ends of said segments, wedging surfaces on said wedges engaging said tapered end surfaces of said segments and defining planes the extension of which intersect in a radial line relative to the axis of rotation of said drum, means connected to said first end plate axially moving said wedges to radially expand said segments to an engaging position on the inner periphery of said axial flanges thereby defining a smooth peripheral surface for winding of an endless fiber.

6. A winding drum for winding a fiber comprising, an annulus having an inner peripheral surface defining a circle, radially expandable segments having an external peripheral surface of the same curvature of said inner peripheral surface of said annulus and engaging said inner surface, wedge shaped end surfaces formed on said segments, wedges axially slidably engaging the inner peripheral surface of said annulus and having lateral surfaces engaging the end surfaces of adjacent ends of said segments, said lateral surfaces of each of said wedges forming a dihedral angle whose vertex lies in a radial line relative to the rotational axis of the drum, means axially moving said wedges to frictionally engage the end surfaces of said segments and the inner periphery of said annulus to selectively and alternatively expand said segments and said wedges to form a smooth continuous peripheral winding surface, or retract to release the fiber tension on said winding drum.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,003,255 9/ 1911 Hansen 242-72.l 1,858,753 5/1932 Taylor 24272.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 855,511 12/1960 Great Britain.

0 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

MERVIN STEIN, Examiner.

W. S. BURDEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FIBERS WINDING DRUM COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE CIRCULAR ELEMENT DEFINING A CIRCLE HAVING A FACING ON ITS INNER PERIPHERY, AT LEAST TWO HALF MOON SEGMENTS HAVING AXIALLY TAPERED END SURFACES CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO MOVE RADIALLY WITHIN SAID CIRCULAR ELEMENT AND DEFINING SEGMENTS OF A CIRCLE COMMON TO THE CIRCLE DEFINED BY THE CIRCULAR ELEMENT, AT LEAST TWO AXIALLY TAPERED WEDGES HAVING LATERAL TAPERED PLANAR SURFACES MATING AND ENGAGING SAID TAPERED END SURFACES OT TWO ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID SEGMENTS, SAID TAPERED SURFACES OF SAID WEDGES DEFINING PLANES THE EXTENSION OF WHICH INTERSECT ON A RADIAL LINE RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE WINDING DRUM, MEANS AXIALLY MOVING SAID WEDGES TO EXPAND THE SEGMENTS RADIALLY AGAINST THE INNER FACING OF THE PERIPHERAL CIRCLE DEFINED BY SAID CIRCULAR ELEMENT THEREBY PROVIDING A SMOOTH OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE WINDING DRUM. 